Basketball net antiwhip device

ABSTRACT

The combination of a basketball net support ring and a basketball net having a lower portion formed of cord and an upper portion formed of a flexible material stiffer than the cord connected to the lower portion and to the support ring to prevent the net from whipping over said support ring when a basketball passes through said net. The upper portion is of a V-shaped configuration and provides the only connection and support between the lower cord portion and the support ring.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Larry L. Michael 229 W. North St., Ada, Ohio 45810 [21 1 Appl. No. 746,379

[22] Filed July 22, 1968 [45] Patented Feb. 23, 1971 [54] BASKETBALL NET ANTIWHIP DEVICE 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl. 273/l.5

[51 lnt. Cl A63b 65/00 [50] Field ofSearch 273/1.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,579,312 12/1951 Garvey 273/l.5

3,313,539 4/1967 Michael Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Paul E Shapiro Attorneyl(inney & Schenk ABSTRACT: The combination of a basketball net support ring and a basketball net having a lower portion formed of cord and an upper portion formed of a flexible material stiffer than the cord connected to the lower portion and to the support ring to prevent the net from whipping over said support ring when a basketball passes through said net. The upper portion is of a V-shaped configuration and provides the only connection and support between the lower cord portion and the support ring.

PATENTEU rm 3197i INVENTOR.

LARRY L. MICHAEL- BY $11M ATTORNEYS.

BASKETBALL NET ANTIWHIP DEVICE, A basketball net is required to be capable of indicating visually that a goal has been made when the basketball passes through the net support ring and into the net. Thus, the net must have a sufficiently small diameterat its bottomend in comparison with the diameter of the basketball so as to checkthe speed of the basketball as itpasses through the net. This will result in some slight movement of the net whereby the officialsmay readily determine that a goal has been made.

When a basketball goal is made without the ball touching the support ring as the ball passes therethrough, the speed of the ball in entering the net is such that the cord, which forms the conventional net, is elongated. After the ball passes through the net, the cord contracts to its original'length. This contraction of the cordmay produce a whipping or flipping action. As aresult, the lower end of the net may flip or whip over the support ring.

When this occurs, it is necessary to stop the progress of the game to return the net to its proper position beneath the support ring. Thus, this delay impairs theioffense: of one of the teams. For example, if play is stopped just after the goal. is made, then the team, which has been scoredupon, will have any fast break opportunity eliminated-by the official having to stop the game to return the. net tothe proper. position. If the net is not observed until the team, which scored the goal, has returned into its offensive court, then'this teammay' have its fast break or other offensive opportunity impaired. Addi+ tionally, when the net is stuck on the support ring, this usually produces an embarrassing situation to theofficials in their efforts to. return thenet to its original position. Therefore, the whipping or flipping of a net above the support ring after'a goal has been made is an inconvenience to the officials and unfair to both teams in a-basketballi game.

Since a cord net forms the best material for checking, the speed of the basketball as it passes throughthe net, it is desirable to be able to stop the flipping. or whipping action of the basketball net without eliminating the cord in-the lower portion of the net in whichthe speed of' the ball is checked. Accordingly, the present invention solves the foregoing problem by permitting the utilization of a cordnet in thelower. portion while providing flexible means of sufficient rigidity. orstiffness in the upper portion of the net to prevent any whipping: or flipping ofthe net over the support ring.

Since the players have sufficient height and jumping ability to extend portions of their bodies intocontact with the net, the net must not be formed of any material. that may injure. a player. The present inventionsatisfactorily meets this requirement by forming the upper portion of the net of a flexible material that will not harm the players while still providing sufficient rigidity or stiffness to prevent the netfrom being whipped or flipped over the support ring.

Furthermore, the net must be formed of amaterial that'will' not cause the basketball to be forced backup-through the goal after the basketball has entered and passed through the support ring. The present invention. satisfactorily meets this requirement since the flexible means for. connecting the cord.

portion of the net to the support ring will not force the basketball back through the support ring; any more than would the cord net.

Most support rings utilized with cord nets have hooks to receive portions of the cord net for connection thereto. Thus, various loops of the cordnet are attachedto the hooks to connect the net to the support ring. Therefore, in. order for any type of. new net to be readily acceptable and.v to be. utilized, it must be compatible with the presently. availablesupport rings.

The present invention satisfactorily meets this requirement since the upper flexible portion of the net of the present invention may be easily attached to the hooks of the presently used support rings. Thus, no alteration or change, in the presently used support rings is necessary for utilization of the net of the present invention.

An object of this inventiomisto provide abasketball net that will. not flip or whip over its support ring.

' Another object of this invention isto provide a basketball net that is readily usable with presently available support .rings. i I 7 Other objects, uses, and advantages of this invention are apparent upon a reading of-this description, which proceeds with reference to the drawing forming part thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspectiveview of the net of the present invention supportedfr om a support ring andforming a basketball goal;

.FIG. 2 isa perspective view ofa portion of the upper tion ofthe net of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is, an enlargedfragmentary elevational view showing por- - the attachment of the. upper portion of the net of the present invention to a hook onthe support ring;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the connection between the cord portion of the netand the flexible portion of .the net.

Referring to the drawing and particularly FIG. 1, there is shown a support ring 10, which forms the rim or goal through which the basketballzmust pass for a 'goal to be made. A net 1 1 is attached to the support ring 10 and extends downwardly therefrom. The net 11 includes an upper portion 12, which is attached to the support ring- 10, and a lowerportion 14.

The upper portion 12.of the net 11 is formed of a suitable flexiblematerialwith sufficient. rigidity or stiffness to prevent the net 11 from whipping or flipping over the support ring 10 when a basketballpasses through the n et.l-l. Onesuitable example of the material'of the upper portion lZof'the net 11 is a low density polyethyleneresin sold under the trade name Petrothene by the United- States Industrial Chemical Company and havingspecification number 292. Any other suitable materialhaving the same desired characteristics of being-flexible but adding rigidity or stiffness to a cord net to prevent it from whipping over its support ring may be employed. The material of the upper portion 12 also must have the characteristics of not injuring any of the players and of not preventing the basketballfrom passing through the netq1 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, theupper portion 12 of the net 11 is a single continuous-member. The continuous member has a plurality ofupper horizontal portions 15-with each of the portions 15 adapted to-be secured to one. of a plurality of circumferentially spaced hooks 16 (see FIG. 3) on the support ring 10. A leg 1'7-'extends.downwardly from each side of each of the upper horizontal portions 15. and a retaining portion. 18- joins the lower ends of the two legs 17'to each other. The retaining portion 18 is adapted to. receive'a loop 19 of the lower cord portion 14 of the net. 11.

As shown in FIG. 4, the;ioop l9'is retained'within the retaining portion 18 ofthe upper portion 12 of the net 11 throughbeing disposed within an opening 20 formed at the junction of the lower ends of the legs 17. The adjacent surfaces of the legs 17- have projections. 21 extending over the. loop 19 toretain the loop. 19 within-the-retaining portion 18 of the upper portion 12 of the net l;l". It; should be understood that any other suitable type of means toretain the loop 19 within the retain.- ing portion 18- of'thie. upper portion 12'of the net 11 may be utilized. It isonly necessary that the retaining means he capable of preventing; the cord portion14 from moving upwardly relative to theupper. portion 12 when the ball passes through thenet 11. V

In installing the net ll on the support ring 10, it is necessary. topass each; of thehorizontal. portions 15' of the upper portion 12 around one of the. circumferentially spaced books 16 on the support ring 10.. This isaccomplished through the flexibilious member and the lower portion 14 being formed of cord, it should be understood that the upper portion 12 could be formed of a plurality of separate connecting means. Furthermore, it would not be necessary for all of the connecting means to be flexible and partially rigid or stiff. Thus, some of the connecting means between the lower portion 14 of the net 11 and the hooks 16 on the support ring could be formed of cord. It is only necessary that a sufficient number of the flexible connecting means be utilized between the support ring 10 and the lower portion 14 to prevent the lower portion 14 of the net 11 from being flipped or whipped over the support ring 10 when a basketball passes through the support ring 10 without touching the support ring 10.

The upper portion 12 of the net 11 has been shown a slightly longer in length than the lower portion 14. However, it is only necessary that the upper portion 12 have a length such that the lower portion 14 cannot flip over the support ring 10; this would be determined, to some degree, by the stiffness or rigidity of the material of the upper portion 12 of the net 11.

An advantage of this invention. is that the net will not become stuck on the support ring. Another advantage of this invention is that it meets the present'rules insofar as checking the speed of the ball when it passes'through the net. A further advantage of this invention is that there is no danger of any injury to any participants due to the net of the present invention. Still another advantage of this invention is that the net may be utilized with existing support rings.

For purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent that changes and modifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. In combination, a basketball net, a basketball net support ring, said net having a lower portion formed of cord, flexible means separate from and of a material stiffer than said cord connected to said lower portion of said net and connected to said support ring, said flexible means being the sole connection between said cord portion of said net and saidsupport ring, said flexible means comprising a plurality of generally V- shaped members, each of said V-shaped members having a maximum combined spaced three point contact between said support ring and said'lower portion of said net, said flexible means preventing said net from whipping over said support ring when a basketball passes through said net.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said generally V-shaped members have retaining means to retain a part of said lower portion attached thereto.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said retaining means comprises gripping means at the junction of the legs of said V- shaped members for engaging a part of said lower portion and retaining it at said junction.

4. The combination of claim 2 in which said retaining means comprises a recess formed in said legs at the junction of said legs of said V-shaped members.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein each of said legs is provided with a shoulder projecting inwardly toward the opposite leg and forming at least a partial closure for said recess.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which said flexible means comprises a single continuous member. 

1. In combination, a basketball net, a basketball net support ring, said net having a lower portion formed of cord, flexible means separate from and of a material stiffer than said cord connected to said lower portion of said net and connected to said support ring, said flexible means being the sole connection between said cord portion of said net and said support ring, said flexible means comprising a plurality of generally V-shaped members, each of said V-shaped members having a maximum combined spaced three point contact between said support ring and said lower portion of said net, said flexible means preventing said net from whipping over said support ring when a basketball Passes through said net.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said generally V-shaped members have retaining means to retain a part of said lower portion attached thereto.
 3. The combination of claim 2 in which said retaining means comprises gripping means at the junction of the legs of said V-shaped members for engaging a part of said lower portion and retaining it at said junction.
 4. The combination of claim 2 in which said retaining means comprises a recess formed in said legs at the junction of said legs of said V-shaped members.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein each of said legs is provided with a shoulder projecting inwardly toward the opposite leg and forming at least a partial closure for said recess.
 6. The combination of claim 1 in which said flexible means comprises a single continuous member. 